Overflow alarm



July 10, 1 928. 1,676,565

A 0. LA VALLEE ET AL OVERFLOW ALARM Filed Jan. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 10, 1928. 1,676,565 0. LA VALLEE ET AL OVERFLOW ALARM Filed Jan. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Patented July 10, 1928.

l FFEK OLIVER LA VALLEE AND ODILON LEMELIN, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

OVERFLOW ALARM.

Application filed January 7, 1928. Serial No. 245,169.

1 Our invention relates to overflow alarms for drip pans for ice boxes and has for an object to provide a device of this character adapted for attachment to the ice box or refrigerator in a convenient manner and operatedthrough a floatarranged within the drip pan of the ice box whereby to indicate at all times the amount of water within the drip pan, said float also being operatively connected with a balance weight adapted through its actuation to sound an audible alarm upon the raising of the float to a predetermined level.

A further object of the invention is to arrange the weight in a normally idle position and operatively connected with the float so as to initially cause the movement of the weight upon the raising of the float to a predetermined level, the subsequent movement of the weight being then utilized to simultaneously sound an audible alarm and also to entirely raise'the float out of its operating position within the drip pan so as to permit the ready removal of the pan for emptying the water without interference from the float.

A still further object of the'invention is to provide a mechanism of the above character which is adapted for attachment to the outside of the ice box or refrigerator and provided with a gauge operable through the movement of the float and'positioned ad jacent the upper edge of the ice box and adapted during its registering movement to appear above the upper edge of the ice box and cooperating therewith to indicate the level of the water within the drip pan.

A still further object is to provide an apparatus of this character of simple and practical construction, which is efficient and reliable in performance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and install and otherwise well adapted to the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the special construction and combination of the various elements comprising'the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, where- Figure 1 is a rear elevational view of an ice box showing our invention in operative position with respect thereto,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical see- .the glass tube tional View taken substantially along a line 2.--2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along a line 33 of Figure 1 and illustrating a plan view of the drip pan with the float arranged therein,

vFigure 4: is a detail of the level gauge,'and

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken along a line 55 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, we have shown our invention adapted for use upon an ice box or refrigerator of the conventional type illustrated generally at 5 and beneath which is arranged the drip pan 6 immediately beneath the overflow pipe 7 of the ice box. lVithinthe pan is disposed one or more floats 8 secured to one end of an arm 9 extending horizontally beneath the ice box toward the outer edge thereof and pivotally mounted intermediate its ends upon a bracket 10 secured to the bottom of the ice box.

' The outer end of the arm 9 is attached to a vertically disposed rod 11 carried for vertically sliding movement within brackets 12 attached to one of the walls of the ice box, the upper end of the rod extending outwardly from the ice box at right angles and inserted within a slotted opening 14: formed at one end of a link 15 pivotally mounted intermediate its ends upon a bracket 15 attached to the ice box and with its opposite ends attached to an upwardly extending gauge 16. The gauge 16 is mounted for slidlng movement within a glass tube 17 secured by a bracket 18 to the wall of the ice box and with its upper end extending slightly above the upper edge of the box. The portion of protruding above the upper edge of the ice box is marked with a scale indicated at 19 corresponding to the various levels of the water in the drip pan 6. As will be seen from an inspection of Figure 1 of the drawings the upper end of the gauge 16 is normally disposed substantially at a horizontal plane with the upper edge of the ice box when the water in the drip pan is at its lowest level and upon the raising of the float it is apparent that the gauge 16 will be moved upwardly within the tube 17 so that the upper edge of the gauge will register in a proper manner with the scale 19 provided thereon. The gauge 16 may be painted in a contrasting color so that the able trip engageable by said angular eXtenranged for actuation upon the movement of sion for releasing said Weight upon the said Weight. movement of the rod a predetermined ex- In testimony whereof We aflix our signatent, said angular extension being disposed tures. Y

5 in the path of said Weight and responsive to the force thereof whereby to remove the OLIVER LA VALLEE. float from said container and an alarm ar- ODILON LEMELIN. 

